Environmental Justice Includes Thoughtful IAQ Standards
The more stringent standards found in health care settings, where people are immunocompromised or more vulnerable because of age, need to be extended to other settings.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines environmental justice as a provision of “an environment where all people enjoy the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to maintain a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.”
Our most prevalent environment is indoors, and our most extensive exposure is the air we breathe. When preventing health hazards becomes a benchmark for environmental justice, maintaining universally safe IAQ standards is an essential component. While we know occupied buildings close in proximity to outdoor pollution sources, such as roadways, may need additional systems to maintain proper IAQ, there are other scenarios that also require special attention.